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Whenever somebody contracts some awful disease or undergoes some awful family tragedy and gets interviewed by the local news about it, they always say the same thing: “You see this in the news all the time, but you never think it can happen to you. And then one day it does…”

I think failing the bar exam is the opposite. Everybody thinks it will happen to them, but it only really happens to a select few. I realized that early on, that the math says I’ll likely pass the bar exam, so I haven‘t been too worried about it. Well, yesterday I found out that one of my friends took the bar exam six months ago…and failed it.

Sure, she took it during the school year, so she probably didn’t have enough time to study. But still, she’s a smart girl and she failed. Took a prep class and everything. Now it’s starting to hit home. Some people really fail this thing.

Tomorrow I’m going to figure out how to get my hands on review books. And then, beginning Monday, I’m going to start studying. I’m going to try to study all day, every day. Oh, and I’m going to work all day, every day to promote Lawyer Boy.

Whenever somebody contracts some awful disease or undergoes some awful family tragedy and gets interviewed by the local news about it, they always say the same thing: “You see this in the news all the time, but you never think it can happen to you. And then one day it does…”

I think failing the bar exam is the opposite. Everybody thinks it will happen to them, but it only really happens to a select few. I realized that early on, that the math says I’ll likely pass the bar exam, so I haven‘t been too worried about it. Well, yesterday I found out that one of my friends took the bar exam six months ago…and failed it.

Sure, she took it during the school year, so she probably didn’t have enough time to study. But still, she’s a smart girl and she failed. Took a prep class and everything. Now it’s starting to hit home. Some people really fail this thing.

Tomorrow I’m going to figure out how to get my hands on review books. And then, beginning Monday, I’m going to start studying. I’m going to try to study all day, every day. Oh, and I’m going to work all day, every day to promote Lawyer Boy.

Graduation was rough. First of all, I was sick. Soar throat, runny nose, that sort of thing. Second of all, under my heavy robe, my hood, my cap, my wool suit, my dress shirt and tie, my undershirt, I was sweating like a pedophile. Third, I still had a paper due. In the middle of the semester, my prof said that I could turn it in whenever I wanted.

“You mean, I can turn it in after graduation?”

“Sure you can. I know you’re good for it.”

At the time it seemed like a blessing. During graduation, not so much. I know I would have easily got it done if he had set a due date. Can’t blame him, though. Only myself.

Everybody says the third year is supposed to be so easy. Not so much, I’m finding. I mean, even if the assignments are twice as easy, it’s at least twice as hard to get motivated to do them. Anybody else finding this to be the case?

Where the hell should I practice?Right now, here’s where I’m at: Chicago: 75% chance, New York: 25% chance.

And here’s my thinking:

CHICAGO UPSIDE -I’ve really liked my past three years here.-I’ve made a handful of friends I don’t want to leave.-I know some people who know some people who might know some people who could get me a job.-The city is close to home (Michigan).

NEW YORK UPSIDE-I’ve always wanted to live in New York for part of my life.

CHICAGO DOWNSIDE-If I didn’t move to New York, I’d always be wondering what I was missing out on.

NEW YORK DOWNSIDE-I can’t work from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM every single day…and I’m told these hours, for New York attorneys, are not at all uncommon. Actually, I called my ex at 10:30PM Chicago time (11:30 New York time) last week and she said she couldn’t talk because she was still at work. She finally called me back at 12:05 Chicago time (1:05 New York time). She had just gotten home.

Hmmm…not sure my Negotiations class is helping me in the real world. Right now I’m sitting across for this girl, “studying” at Caribou. I really wanted to study at the Drake Hotel…she here at Caribou…and she just didn’t budge….so I gave in. Has taking Negotiations helped any of you outside of school/the job?

I’ve been in Chicago for three years. In that time, I’ve had my laptop stolen from my locked gym locker and my wallet stolen twice. I’ve also witnessed four thefts, and I’ve gotten myself involved in two of them.

Whenever I bring my laptop to the bookstore, I carry it with me when I stand up to walk around and look for books or use the bathroom. I of course take my cell phone and my wallet along with me too. I only leave behind my old laptop carrying case (which is made of canvas and has a huge hole in the bottom), my casebooks, and some pens and paper.

I’ve been studying at the Barnes & Noble next to my school for three years now. Most of the time, they play classical music and jazz…only now, they’re starting to play more and more techno, and they’re starting to play it really, really loud, and it’s starting to really piss me off.

Is the bookstore hoping to “make reading cool again?” Does techno music increase sales? Or does Barnes & Noble just want me study somewhere else?

I haven’t yet paid my tuition. They put a “lock” on my account, meaning I can’t register for classes. I still haven’t registered for the classes I want, though. I’m signed up for this three-credit course, but I want to switch it to a one-credit course because that’s all I need to graduate. Only, if I pay my tuition, they’ll charge me for the two extra credit hours. And, like I said, if I don’t pay, the registration system won’t allow me to make the switch.